


An Early Christmas Present

by EllieL



Series: Snapemas & Snolidays 2020 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Established Relationship, F/M, Kneazles (Harry Potter), deepperplexity's Snapemas 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28070649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieL/pseuds/EllieL
Summary: On Christmas Eve, Severus takes Hermione to pick out one of her presents.For the Snapemas prompt "Christmas present"
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Series: Snapemas & Snolidays 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040246
Comments: 16
Kudos: 69





	An Early Christmas Present

“I thought you might like your first Christmas gift tonight,” Severus said, putting down his wineglass and looking over the festively candlelit table at his wife as they finished their dinner.

“Oh?” One brow raised, a credible imitation of his own. “In the past, you grumbled when I suggested we do  _ stockings _ before breakfast Christmas Day.”

“Well, we should not do anything before caffeination. But,” he admitted reluctantly, “this is something that we cannot do tomorrow, as you must have a hand in selecting it.”

Hermione’s eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity. “We’re going somewhere?”

“We are. You’re dressed appropriately.” They’d not dressed up for their dinner, but were in casual everyday clothing, which was mostly muggle on her part, denims and a lovely green jumper. “We won’t be outside but to walk half a block.”

“Now?”

“Our appointment is in twenty minutes.”

“I’ll get our coats then. You’ll side-along me?”

“Of course, love.” There was little he enjoyed more than the feel of his wife’s arms wrapped around him.

By the time he’d called upon Dizzy to clear the table, she was already in the hallway, wrapping her cloak around herself. She held his out to him, and he donned it, enjoying the anticipatory delight on her face; she loved surprises. His arm tucked her close to his side as they made their way out into the garden, and before he could step into the apparition, she stood up on her toes and kissed him.

“You may want to wait until you see where we’re going.”

“I trust you’ll deserve it when we get there.” She smiled up at him as he spun them away.

They landed in a copse of pines on the edge of a small park, and made their way up the quiet street, past rows of tidy houses covered in holiday lights and decorations, casting a bright glow over the whole road. She held his hand as they walked, but halfway down the block, she stopped and her brow furrowed.

“This was Harry’s neighborhood. Or the Dursley’s, rather.” 

“It still is the Dursley’s neighborhood. But rest assured, I have no desire to see Petunia this or any other day of the year. We are going to see their neighbor, Mrs. Figg.” He led her past two more houses before stopping at one that had been decorated for the holidays, but not quite in the traditional muggle fashion. Rather than Santas and red and green lights, there were bright pink lights framing the entire house and an almost-nativity scene populated entirely by glowing cats. He fought the urge to blast it all into nonexistence, but beside him, he could feel Hermione laughing.

“I can think of no greater sign of your love that your willingness to walk through that yard with me to select a new kneazle.” It was said playfully, and the hand in his gave a little squeeze, thumb brushing over his knuckles.

Always a smart woman, she’d put the pieces together without him saying a word. Though he growled a bit and shorted out the illuminated cat-drawn sleigh as they made their way up the walk.

The door opened before they had the chance to knock, revealing a red-clad form of old Arabella Figg, holding onto a cat as several other felines twined around her ankles. “Happy Christmas, dears, come in!”

Severus held back to let Hermione enter first. She gasped a bit as they stepped into a house that seemed filled with cat decor, though thankfully not quite as hideous as Umbridge’s had been. 

“It’s a real honor, Master Snape, Mistress Granger-Snape,” said Mrs. Figg, leading them through a few rooms to a former bedroom that had been entirely given over to cat beds. “Selecting the right familiar, it’s a very personal thing.”

“Yes, it is,” replied Severus. “Which is why I did not want to make the choice for Hermione. Though there are a few I think might suit.”

“Thank you.” Hermione wasn’t even looking at him as she spoke, eyes already taking in the dozen half-kneazles of varying ages waiting for them. 

The two Severus had thought might suit upon his initial visit to Mrs. Figg were just to her right. A sleek black female and a fluffy tom whose fur was silvery-grey with almost leopard spots both looked impassively up at her. She seemed drawn to another, though, reaching for a small dusty grey ball of fluff. 

Yellow eyes peered up at her, and past her to Severus, before looking back up at the woman picking it up. Tufted ears flicked towards Hermione and then towards Mrs. Figg as she spoke.

“Oh, Maeve. She’s three-quarters kneazle, and a fierce little thing when she wants to be.”

Severus looked knowingly at Hermione and smiled, as his wife stepped toward him cradling the fluffy cat. “A kitten?”

“No, eighteen months. She's just a little, spunky thing.”

Hermione offered the cat up for his attention for just a moment, and it gave him a gimlet eye before struggling to turn back to its new mistress. It had certainly chosen her, if it weren’t clear already. Even from a distance, he could hear the purrs as the familiar began to bond to her witch.

“It looks as if Hermione has been chosen.” Mrs. Figg sounded well pleased by the match.

“Indeed.” If her description of the little cat’s personality was accurate, it was a good match. “We shall take Maeve home then, and leave you to your Christmas, Mrs. Figg.” 

He pressed a ready bag of galleons into the old squib’s palm, an attempt at subtlety, even if in the moment Hermione would have likely overlooked a third coming of the Dark Lord, given her total focus on the cat. It suddenly occurred to him that he would now have a rival for her affections. Two years ago that might have bothered him, but he now knew the size of heart and her capacity for love.

The absolute happiness on her face as they headed out of Mrs. Figg’s house made it worth a few days of her focus being entirely upon the new familiar. It also meant she didn’t notice when he shorted out the hoard of glowing snowmen filling one of lawns. The kneazle continued to purr, putting up no struggle in her arms as they walked to the apparition point. When he wrapped his arms around both of them to apparate home, he smiled down at her.

“Happy Christmas, love.” His lips brushed her forehead for just a second, before he spun his newly enlarged family home.


End file.
